


Collapse

by tobin017 (toboggann), toboggann



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2019-10-07 18:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17370863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toboggann/pseuds/tobin017, https://archiveofourown.org/users/toboggann/pseuds/toboggann
Summary: Clarisse La Rue isn't the type of person you would expect to feel anything other than hate and rage, her being a daughter of Ares, and all.But what happens when Annabeth tests her patience and makes her rethink everything she's known to feel?





	1. Raw Emotion

**Author's Note:**

> this is sort of an AU - percy doesn’t exist, and annabeth is the one that returned the lightning bolt to zeus. also, thalia doesn’t die so she does not turn into the tree that protects the camp, so therefore luke doesn’t poison the tree. 
> 
> the beginning of this chapter is kind of iffy, but it really starts to pick up and flow more freely during the middle and end. 
> 
> thanks for reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is sort of an AU - in this universe percy doesn’t exist, and annabeth is the one that returned the lightning bolt to zeus. and thalia doesn’t die, so she doesn’t become a tree so therefore luke doesn’t poison the tree.

Camp Half-Blood holds all type of events, this time, they had us climbing a rotating tower of death.

Not literally, but you get the point.

People get really competitive whenever this game rolls around. There’s a lot of ways one can hurt another, you can tug or push the poles in the tower to make someone lose their footing or jab them in the gut, or just plainly throw or push them off. We kind of try to avoid that one though, for our own sake. Don’t want any angry gods striking us down because we hurt their kid.

“Oh, Annabeth, how nice of you to show up to watch me win,” I look to my right, and see Clarisse, daughter of Ares, the god of war, giving me that signature smirk of hers.

I smirk back, “you know, Clarisse, everything they say about you is wrong” I dig my feet into the dirt, planting my feet in the direction I plan to take off in.

She looks surprised for a moment, looking at me with confusion written on her face.  
I let a small laugh slip past my lips, “You really do have a sense of humor.”

She snarls at me and takes off to the tower, swinging her body left and right, dodging poles being jabbed at her and kicking people out of her way.

“Come on, Annabeth! I got 50 drachmae on you!” I whip my head around and see Grover, one of my best friends that happens to be a satyr, with a wide smile on his face and giving me an enthusiastic thumbs up.

I give him an incredulous look, “you bet on this?!”

He groans, “you can scold my bad decisions later! Right now you need to GO!” 

“Right.” I mutter, and start running towards the swinging ladders that are dangling from the first platform.  
I jump onto the ladder, swinging my body up onto the platform, then studying the best route to begin climbing to the top.

 

“What’s the matter, Annabeth? Mommy not giving you any answers?” Clarisse coos.

I roll my eyes, and start climbing, as does she.

We’re both about halfway up the wall, her on the side opposite from mine, and I can see a glimpse of her face through one of the cracks, her face contorted in concentration. 

She looks at me through the void space, and I lock eyes with her. “Aren't you tired of getting beat, Chase?” She breathes out, then pushes a pole that jabs me in the arm, and my body swings to the right as my right hand is holding onto the pole above me. Then I hear her push another one that jabs my other arm, making me fall all the way.

Luckily, my right arm catches on another pole, and I catch my breath before I pull the pole that I’m holding on to, praying to the gods that that’s the pole she’s standing on, and when I hear her shriek I know she fell. 

I then continue my way up the tower, almost reaching the top when I hear screams coming from the bottom of the tower.

“HELP!!!” Someone from the Apollo cabin is stuck on one of the ladders, her foot caught in the spindle as she’s being rag dolled around.

I look back up, and lock eyes with Clarisse, “good luck with that, Chase.” 

She continues to throw her body up and around the poles, getting closer and closer to the top.

I hear the shrieks of the Apollo girl, and then I make my decision.

I start jumping down the tower, swinging to and from the poles, then I land on the bottom platform near the ladder.

“Amy! Grab my hand!” I pull the ladder up so she’s no longer being dragged, and stick my arm out for her to grab.

Once she’s up on the platform, I get up and turn around, my face being met with one of the large, padded beams, causing me to be thrown back and off the platform.  
I hit the ground with a hard thud, and I groan as I grab my right shoulder in pain.

I hear the crowd go silent as I lean on my elbow, and see Clarisse on the top platform, smirking down at me.

She walks over to the big helmet, and pulls the discus out of it.

She then walks to the edge of the platform, and holds it up for the crowd to see.

The crowd then explodes in cheers and confetti, Clarisse then glides down on a stabilized rope, being met with her friends cheering for her and congratulating her.  
Grover comes over to me and helps me up.

With another groan, I start taking off my pads and rolling out my shoulder. 

Out of the corner of my eye I see Clarisse looking at me, and I know that her shit talking isn’t over with.

She walks up to Grover and I, “so, what I’m wondering is, Annabeth… that first quest you went on, beginners luck, wasn’t it?”

Grover glares at the daughter of Ares, “Clarisse, she saved Olympus, that’s more than you’ve ever done.”

She scoffs, “whatever,” she stalks off towards the bath house.  
Our other friend, Cassie, daughter of Demeter, appears out of thin air, “even for the daughter of the war god, that girl’s a mythic bi-”

Cassie is kind of the wild card of our friend group. She’s got shaggy caramel brown hair that she constantly has up in a messy bun, no matter the situation or time, and deep green eyes that look like a large patch of trees in a forest. Her mother being Demeter, she has control over all living things. That are plants, that is. But that is an uncommon power, especially for a child of Demeter. She even told me she summoned a karpos once, which is a grain spirit, and that’s even more unheard of. But nonetheless, she’s an incredibly loyal friend, and she’ll keep you on your toes.

“Maybe she’s right,” I cut her off while I take the rest of my pads off, still rolling out my bruising shoulder

He scoffs, “oh please, you’re more than a one quest wonder,” he scratches his goatee, “you recovered Ares’ stolen chariot!” 

I shake my head, “no, that was Clarisse,” I stand up, and begin walking towards cabin six.

He shrugs, “okay, what about the Fall Tournament, you owned that sucker,” he punches my shoulder, trying to gain my enthusiasm.

I grimace and shake my head.

“Clarisse?” He sucks in a breath.

I hum in confirmation and nod.

He puffs out a blow of air, “uhh, The Solstice Games, The Bronze Dragon’s Quest?”

I stop walking, and look over my shoulder at Cassie as she starts shaking her head, and signals for Grover to stop talking. She stops and tries to give me a smile.

“Okay, well you saved Olympus, that’s more than she’s ever done,” Grover reasons, and pats me on the shoulder.

I stand up and grab his shoulders, “thank you for trying to cheer me up.” I begin to make my way out of the colosseum when I hear Mr. D’s voice ring behind me.

“Annabelle Vase,” I stop in my tracks, and turn to see him gaining ground towards me.

“Actually, sir, it’s Annabeth Chase,” I correct him, rolling my eyes in my head.

He waves his hand dismissively, “whatever. I have a very tasking challenge for, do you think you can handle it?” 

I stop in my tracks, “of course, what is it?” 

“Good, good. You may need this,” he pulls out a rake from behind his back, “you know, these events tend to get a bit messy.”

I just sigh and nod, taking the rake and begin cleaning up what seems to be an endless amount of confetti from the stands and event grounds.

About three hours later, it’s just after dinner, and I’m walking to The Canoe Lake, wanting some privacy after today’s humiliating turnout.

I sit on a rock facing the lake, looking up at the moon as I gather my thoughts.

“Maybe Clarisse was right, maybe I only saved Olympus… because I had Grover and Cassie helping me,” I wipe my hands on my jeans, “do you ever feel like, everything you’ve ever done… you didn’t really do it? It was all just luck or something?” I pause, then chuckle humorlessly, “of course not, you’re a god.” 

I stay silent for another moment, “I should’ve analyzed more options. I shouldn’t of stuck my head up like that without looking,” I suck my teeth, “I’m suppose to be a daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom, war, and battle strategy. A daughter of you. Yet I forgot to analyze my options.”

The silence of the lake and trees around me begins to take over my senses, when a voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

“Don’t beat yourself up too badly, Chase.”

I turn around and see the last person I want to see, ever.

I roll my eyes, “why do you care, La Rue?”

“No need to bite my head off, Annabeth.” Clarisse holds her hands up in surrender.

I roll my eyes once more, “says the one that’s constantly belittling absolutely everything I do.”

I see her deep brown eyes soften just a little, before they go back to their usual hard and guarded state.

“Maybe if you weren’t so careless I wouldn’t have to point out your failures,” she snarls, sitting down on the rock next to me, but still leaving space between us.

I turn my body fully to face her, “gods, Cassie was right. Even for a daughter of the war god, you really are a mythic bitch,” I then stand up, wanting to be nowhere near her at the moment.

Clarisse’s face hardens, her eyes turning so dark they could almost be mistaken for black, her lips pressed into a thin line, any emotion I could once read from her, now out the window. “What did you say?” she says, her tone dropping.

I’m slightly terrified. 

Okay, I’m really terrified. But I’m not giving her the advantage of seeing that, instead, I retaliate with, “did I stutter? You are a mythic bitch.” 

She then stands up and stalks towards me leaving a mere inch between us, her dark eyes peering down at me as her nostrils flair, “do not underestimate me or my father, daughter of Athena. Ares starts wars for fun. While your mother was busy quarreling with Poseidon over who got to be patron god of Athens, my father was brewing up wars anywhere you can imagine.”

I swallow down my fear and speak with conviction, “at least my mother isn’t a pig like your father. Gawking and fawning over anything with a heartbeat.” I back up to try and put some space between us, but it doesn’t last long since she follows my every step.

I can feel the rage emanating from her, her fists are at her sides, tightly bound in fists, the muscles all along her arms are flexed, and I can’t help but get distracted for a moment, but then she speaks, “your mother has a Chasity belt bound so tight around her waist, no one even knows how you and your siblings wound up alive.” She backs me up onto a tree, no room left to escape.

Before my mind register what I’m doing, my hand pulls back and slaps her clean across her left cheek, her head flying to the right. 

Once my mind catches up with my hand’s doing, I open my mouth to apologize, but Clarisse’s large hands wrap around my biceps, and I let out a yelp and then a groan as she picks me up and spins me around from the tree and pins me down on the dirt in one swift motion. 

I can see a red handprint forming on her cheek, and her eyes are blazing with fire. She pins my shoulders down, and swings her legs over my waist. Her knees slightly over my hip bones, digging into my stomach just enough to cause me discomfort. 

I let out another groan as she pushes my shoulders down again, my right one flaring in pain from the fall off the tower earlier in the day. “Let me go!” I raise my hands up to push her off, but she quickly moves her hands around my wrists, now pinning those in the dirt as I let out an annoyed huff.

“Don’t ever hit me again. Do you understand?” she lowers her face to mine, the same distance it was before she threw me on the ground. Her voice has dropped an octave lower, making her husk out the words more than actually say them, and Gods is it sexy.

What? No it’s not. I hate her, and she hates me. Just like our parents, and it’s going to stay that way. No matter how badly I always want to kiss that stupidly annoying smirk off her face.

Clarisse’s face softens a little, and I then realize she was talking while I was thinking about kissing her. 

“Annabeth?” her grip on my wrists loosens a bit, and her knees don’t dig so much into my stomach anymore, and I notice she tends to favor her left leg over her right, so naturally more of her weight is shifted left. So I quickly pull myself out of her grasp, wrap my legs around her waist, and roll us both to the left, so she is now underneath me, and I have my knees slightly digging into her stomach. I then grab her wrists to pin above her head, and I immediately notice how different the size of our hands are. Her’s are big enough to hold both of my wrists comfortably in one hand, I have to use both of my hands to keep her hands down.

She groans and struggles against me, the veins in her neck popping out just a bit, and I feel her arms flex, I shamelessly look down at her arms that aren’t covered in anything, since she’s wearing a plain white tank top, I can see the scars that adorn her arms and shoulders, reminders of past quests that could have gone wrong very quickly.

“How did you do that?” she demands, finally giving up and relaxing her body against the cold ground. 

“I noticed a flaw in your stance, you favor your left leg and because of that more of your weight tends to shift that way, so I used that against you. Daughter of Athena, remember?” I ask rhetorically. She just rolls her eyes, and shifts slightly underneath me.

Five minutes of me just sitting on her lap pass before either of us break the silence, but when it is broken, it’s Clarisse to do so. “I’m sorry,” she breaths out, avoiding eye contact.

I feign surprise, “do my ears deceive me? Is Clarisse La Rue apologizing?” I bring one of my hands to my chest, big mistake. She takes advantage of that, and frees one of her hands, pulling herself up, but not completely getting up, me still sitting in her lap. Her left arm wraps around my waist, keeping me in place, my cheeks flush in embarrassment as her fingers come in contact of the patch of skin on my hip that isn’t covered my my orange camp t-shirt. 

“I said, I was sorry. Do not push your luck, wise girl. I’m not delving into detail,” her lips barely move as she speaks, but I see her eyes roam my upper body subtly, and my cheeks redden even more. 

I let out a shaky breath, “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t of said that stuff about your father,” I look down into her eyes as I finish my sentence, and I see hesitation flash in them, but only for a moment. 

For a moment, I believe she’s going to say something that makes me doubt she’s really a daughter of that pig, but of course, her pride doesn’t let her. “You’re right, you shouldn’t of said that shit. You’re lucky I didn’t hurt you.” She tightens her hold around my waist, and I yelp as she pulls both of us off the ground effortlessly.

I roll my eyes, “Gods, are you ever not a prideful asshole? Do you ever show real emotions other than rage and hate?” I pause, giving her a chance to answer, but when she does open her mouth, I speak again before she has the chance, “who am I kidding, of course you don’t. Daughter of Ares, through and through.” I shake my head and turn around to start heading back towards the cabins, the moon now high in the sky, well past curfew.

She lets me get a few paces down the trail, but not far enough that we can be seen, when I hear her thundering footsteps follow me, “you want raw emotion?” she pauses and I turn around to meet her eyes, and there’s something there I can’t read, “how’s this for raw emotion.” 

Next thing I know, she grabs my waist with both hands, and pulls me into a searing kiss, my hands automatically wrapping around her neck like this is something we’ve done so many times that it’s now muscle memory.

Her lips are hard against mine, but they’re warm and inviting, and nothing about Clarisse is ever warm and inviting. I can’t help but kiss back, and for a long moment, that doesn’t feel long enough, we’re a mess of lips and tongues clashing, each of us trying to gain the upper hand, she wins when she squeezes my hip, and I gasp in surprise and she takes advantage of it and slides her tongue in my mouth, making me almost moan at the feeling once again.

After what feels like hours of me and her kissing, but was really only a few minutes, we both pull away and I find myself still hanging on to her neck, gazing into her once hard eyes, void of all emotion, but now they’re a warm brown, still deep with the mysteries of her mind, but they’re more inviting than they’ve ever been.

We stay like that for another moment, me looking into her eyes, studying her, when the silence is finally broken.

“How do you do it?” When she speaks, it’s so small and quiet it doesn’t even sound like the Clarisse I know.

I tilt my head in confusion, “do what?” she moves her hands along my waist, and my breath hitches in my throat as she glides her hands up my ribs, and to my face, gliding her hand along my jawline delicately, like if she was any rougher she would shatter me. 

This is such a drastic change from her usual tough and no-emotions exterior. It’s giving me whiplash.

“Make me change with just one look,” she continues to run her nimble fingers along my cheek, my arms still around her neck, mindlessly playing with her deep brown hair that she currently has up in a bun, a few hairs flown away because of our impromptu make out session.

I smile at her, “I didn’t make you change, I just helped bring it out,” I’m the one that kisses her this time, but instead there’s no tongue, and it’s not as frantic. This time, it’s slow, and full of something other than lust.

I bring my lips to hers, taking in how her lips taste like grapes, and how she distinctly smells like firewood. I feel her other hand snake up my side, coming to a stop on my other cheek, holding my face firmly in place, but also gently.

I feel her body shake, and I break the kiss because she cannot stop laughing, she’s laughing so hard that it makes me laugh, “what’s so funny?” I ask lightly, stroking her thumbs slowly over my cheek bones.

She looks at me for a moment, “you really are a daughter of Athena, aren’t you?” It’s not meant in a rude way, I can tell by the slight sparkle in her eye, and the smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. But this smirk isn’t like her others, either. Instead of the smirk that says ‘i’m insulting you, and only I know it’, this one says ‘you’re tearing away at my resolve, and we both know it’.

I smirk back at her, “last time I checked, yes, I am a daughter of Athena.” I slide my hands from the back of her neck to her chest, and she brings her arms back around my waist.

She leans in like she’s going to kiss me, and I almost close my eyes, but she speaks against my lips, “we should head back, it’s way past curfew.”

I nod, “you’re right, walk me back to cabin six?” I kiss her cheek.

She smiles at me and takes my hand in hers, “of course, wise girl.”


	2. Scion of The War God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth is confused by Clarisse's behavior after the night they shared.

_The Next Day_

 

I wake up with my siblings, doing what we normally do, taking turns in the bathrooms, already arguing over who’s strategy for capture the flag is best for when we play during the weekend.

Malcolm Pace, my brother and second in command is currently arguing with me on if we should use a ground attack, or use the hillside as an advantage.

“Malcolm, if we use the hill then we have the advantage of seeing people before they see us, it’s foolproof.” I roll my eyes at my half-brother, standing up from my bunk, grabbing my shoes and slipping them on.

He rolls his eyes right back, “Annie, if we go with the ground assault, we can hit them head on and use the element of surprise. When has that not worked?” he also rolls his eyes and stands up too before huffing out an exasperated breath.

“Don’t call me Annie,” I glare at him. I just dismiss his statement, and walk out of the cabin and start making my way to the dining pavilion. On my way I pass the canoe lake, and last nights events flash in my mind, and a frenzy of butterflies fills my stomach as I think about Clarisse’s lips against mine, and the way she was so gentle with me, even though she’s one of the most aggressive people I’ve ever met.

I sit down at my cabin’s table, watching as my brothers and sisters chatter and eat their breakfast. As I’m studying the people in the dining pavilion, that not being much since it’s still kind of early, but glance over to the food line and see Clarisse, and my stomach explodes in another frenzy of butterflies.

She’s wearing her black combat boots, ripped black jeans, and an orange camp t-shirt that no longer has sleeves since she ripped them off last year. I shamelessly check her out, I see her bead necklace around her neck, four beads painted in incredible detail of the most important events in the last few years that she has taken part of.

She must feel my eyes peering into her because the next thing I know, her head pops up from the food table and her eyes lock with mine, and my cheeks are flared.

I shoot her a small smile, and I feel a stone drop in my stomach when she just looks away and walks to her cabin’s table, which happens to be right next to mine, and sits next to her half-brother, Sherman Yang and begins talking about something that I can’t pick up.

I furrow my eyebrows and look down at my plate, staring at my eggs like they’re the oracle.

Clarisse doesn’t even spare a glance my way the rest of the morning.

 

_Later That Afternoon_

 

Clarisse hasn’t talked to me all day, or looked at me. I doubt she’s even thought about me. I thought when she said what she did was ‘raw emotion’ it meant that she felt something for me, because I know I definitely feel something for her.

It’s now late afternoon, just before dinner, and we have a bit of free time, so I decide to go to the lake again, I usually go there when I need to talk to my mom, and I hate doing that in temples, it feels too formal for just talking to my mother.

I sit down on the same rock that I did the night before, and I organize my thoughts before I speak, “Mom… or Athena, I guess. It’s… um, it’s Annabeth, and I’d really appreciate it if you could listen this time, I’m not asking for answers, just you listening will be enough,” my voice starts to tremble, “there's this girl… Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, and _I know_ , I picked a good one when it comes to his kids,” I say sarcastically, “but in a way, I really did. For a bit, she’s your stereotypical child of Ares, hot-tempered, aggressive, self-assured, brave, and just a little bit cocky… _okay,_ she kind of exceeds that stereotype, but last night, when she came over here to check on me, and when she kissed me… she was _so_ gentle and caring, she held my face like if she let go I would shatter… and she’s usually not like that, you know the whole thing, Ares’ kids usually aren’t _warm_ or _inviting_ , but just for a split second, she was… and I don’t know, maybe I thought since we shared that moment things would be different, and we would act as if we didn’t entirely loathe each other…” I don’t realize I’m crying until I feel a hand wipe at my tears, which makes me jump since _a hand wiped my tears away._

I look to my right, and I see a girl, no, _a woman_ of intense beauty it almost blinds me.

I shield my eyes, “mom…?” as the person’s glow fades, and they form into regular street clothes, I notice it’s _definitely_ not my mother.

The woman smiles at me, showing perfectly white, straight teeth, “no, dear, but your mother thought I’d be more help with this one, you know, being the goddess of love, and all,” the woman that I now recognize as Aphrodite, says with a chuckle.

“Aphrodite…” I trail off, trying to comprehend why she’s standing in front of me right now.

She smiles again and sits next to me on the rock, the same place that Clarisse had sat in. “Correct. Now, tell me about this _Clarisse La Rue,_ and why she’s snagged your heart.

I then go off on a tangent about Clarisse, how I’ve always found her attractive, but thought it was just a girl appreciating another girl’s beauty, but now realize it’s more than that, and the fact that I _do_ have feelings for her, and how when we kissed it felt like the world stopped, and it was just her and me, like nothing else mattered. Then I told her how she had caught me staring at her this morning, and how I had smiled at her, but she had just looked away and sat with her siblings, and didn’t even look at me for the rest of the morning.

Aphrodite sucks a breath in as she processes everything I had just told her. “Well, Annabeth, I believe she’s just afraid of the way you make her feel, if what you described of her is correct, and the way she was gentle when she kissed you and held you, then there’s no doubt in all my godly knowledge that there’s something there,” she places a hand on my should and stands up, me following suit, “talk to her, she’ll be guarded at first, but she will open up, just give it time.”

I smile and thank the goddess, trusting her since she is the goddess of love, after all. “Will you tell my mother I said thank you, please?” I ask, wanting my mother to know I was grateful she listened and helped even if it wasn’t done so by her self.

Aphrodite smiles at me and starts returning to her godly form, “of course, dear. I’m rooting for you two, we all are.” And with a final wink, the goddess is gone.

 

_After Dinner_

 

I’m currently walking around the training grounds, having done everything I needed to get done.

Clarisse still hasn’t talked to me, and I don’t know if I should dismiss it, and try again tomorrow, or if what happened the other night meant nothing to her, and I should act the same way.

But that’s not what I _want._ I want her to know that what happened wasn’t nothing, at least not to me. I want to know what in Hades I did wrong, what made her ignore me, and most importantly I want to know what she’s _thinking._

I must’ve been mumbling my ramblings out loud, because next thing I know, Clarisse is in front of me, and she grabs my arm and drags me back to the spot in which we kissed.

My eyes widen, “what do you think you’re doing, exactly?” I spit out, trying to sound resentful, but instead, it comes out feebly, and my voice cracks slightly.

“We’re talking,” she huffs out like it’s obvious. Once we’re deep enough in the foliage, she turns around and faces me, confliction written on her face. She stands in front of me, her arms crossed, her body language tells me she has her guard up.

I roll my eyes, “oh, _now_ you want to talk?” I too cross my arms, “I’m not just going to be someone that will come at your beck and call when it’s convenient for you, Clarisse.” I say her name with more bite than intended, and she visibly recoils at my tone.

She sighs and uncrosses her arms, “I’m sorry about this morning, I shouldn’t have ignored you,” she avoids eye contact, and I know her apology took a shot at her pride.

I scoff, “and this afternoon, and before dinner, oh and don’t forget after dinner, too,” I turn around, and I’m about to begin walking away when I feel her strong hand wrap around my arm again.

I turn my head and look at her, shooting a glare at her then at her hand.

She snaps her hand back and tucks it in the pocket of her jeans. “I’m sorry for that, too. I shouldn’t have ignored you at all. But I’m scared, Annabeth.” I see her shoulders tense, and she again avoids eye contact.

That catches me off guard, and I let my resolve slip a little. Clarisse is _never_ scared. “Why are you scared, ‘Risse?”

She sighs, “I'm supposed to be the one that isn’t scared, the one that doesn’t let emotions get the best of her, I’m a daughter of Ares, the _only_ emotion I should show is rage,” she looks me in the eyes, “but with you, you make me feel things other than rage, _good_ things. And I don’t know how to handle them.” She looks down at her feet when she finishes her sentence, now avoiding eye contact completely.

I bring my hands up to her face, silently coaxing her to look at me. After a few moments she does, vulnerability etched on every inch and detail of her face. I smile at her, “you know, Aphrodite was right.”

Her face twists in confusion, “you talked to Aphrodite?” She uncrosses her arms and seemingly melts in the palm of my hands.

I nod and remove my hands from her face, sitting on a log that faces the lake. “Actually, I was talking to my mom about you, telling her everything that happened this morning and I asked for help. She felt that Aphrodite would be able to offer better help with this subject, so she came to talk to me.” Clarisse sits next to me, our knees centimeters away from touching.

“And what did the goddess of love tell you?” I shift my eyes away from the lake and onto Clarisse, her own eyes burning holes into me.

I take a shaky breath in, “she told me that you’re afraid of what I make you feel, and that’s why you avoided me today.” I swing one of my legs around the log, now fully facing Clarisse.

“I’m sorry for avoiding you, but as you said earlier, Aphrodite was right, I am afraid of what you make me feel,” she does the same as I did, swinging one of her legs around the log, now facing me as well. Then, she takes a deep breath, “I haven’t let myself feel anything for anyone since Silena died, but when I looked at you for the first time, and I mean really _looked_ at you, I felt things again. And this time, I don’t want to ignore them.”

I look at her for a moment, raking my eyes over her face, the deep brown eyes that hold so much behind them, and the lips that either bark out battle orders to her siblings or softly speak to me. Then I let my eyes wander down to her strong shoulders and her arms, noting all the scars, big and small, from the quests she’s been on and the events she’s participated in over her time at camp.

“Annabeth?” Her speaking breaks me out of my trance of sorts, and when I lock eyes with her once again, my resolve slips and I can't help but surge forward and press our lips together, sighing in content as I feel her lips working against my own.

After a blissful moment, we both pull back, and she has a dopey smile on her face, that smile I don’t think anyone else has seen.

“Go on a date with me,” she says. And when I look at her, her cheeks are flushed red with embarrassment, and she breaks eye contact.

I laugh, “is _the_ Clarisse La Rue _embarrassed_?” I poke at her ribs slightly, making a quiet laugh escape her lips despite her best efforts to keep a straight face.

We both stop laughing, and it’s just a comfortable silence surrounding us.

“Yes, I’ll go on a date with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited second part is finally up! This has been in the works since the first part went up, but shortly after I lost motivation to write altogether. But I'm back now, so I should be back to writing. if you'd like me to continue this story, please let me know by leaving kudos and telling what you like/what I should improve in the comments! any ideas about where the plot should go is also appreciated!


	3. "I am NOT in the mood for another midnight war games."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarisse gets a wake up call she wasn't quite expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please put away your pitchforks and torches! i know it's been a really long time, but i promise i do have a plot for this story! it's just a matter of me feeling motivated enough to update.

Clarisse once again walks me back to my cabin, pecking my cheek once before bidding me goodnight and walking back to her own cabin.

I fall asleep that night dreaming of brown eyes filled with fire.

~

**Clarisse POV**

“Clarisse!” I groan and roll over on my right side, dismissing the person who is trying to awake me from my slumber.

A few moments of silence pass, so I begin to let myself slip back into unconsciousness.

“Clarisse.” This time, the voice sounds like it came from someone who just ran a marathon in 0.03 seconds and when asked if they wanted water, said ‘nah, I got it.’

I bolt upright, throwing my blanket off my bed in the process, and I see Rachel Dare, our oracle, standing by my bed with a far off look in her eyes. “Yes..?”

 

“Although you had a great fall

Hell will solve it all

 

You will need the offspring of Demeter whom will help you grow

They will seek the path in which the truth will show

 

Listen for the voice that will lead you through the trees

What was once lost can come back for a fee

 

Your trials and tribulations will not end as you leave

don’t let all that you see be the same as you believe”

 

“What?!” I look around and see that none of my siblings are up. Thank the gods, I am _not_ in the mood for another midnight war games.

Rachel seems to return to her usual self and begins looking around. Then, her eyes land on me. “Where am I?”

I look to my left and see the digital numbers of _5:48_ blinking back at me in an annoyingly bold green. I let a small groan slip past my lips and pull myself out of bed, walking to the bathroom with Rachel trailing behind me.

I push open the bathroom door and flip on the light. I squint my eyes at the harshness of the beams of light as I open the medicine cabinet to grab my toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. I finally look at Rachel as I turn the faucet on. “You, are in the Ares cabin. And I believe you just gave me a prophecy at the cruel hour of,” I stick my head out of the bathroom and look at my clock again, “5:51 in the morning.”

I squeeze the toothpaste onto the bristles of my toothbrush and begin brushing my teeth. I look at Rachel in the mirror in front of me, and I see a look of terror begin to take over her face.

I spit out the foam into the sink, and turn my body towards her, “relax. I’m not going to hurt you.” I roll my eyes and finish brushing my teeth, wiping my mouth with the towel on the rack.

I flick the bathroom light off once again and make my way to my backpack that’s beside my bed, pulling out an orange camp t-shirt (this one still has sleeves. I know, I surprise myself sometimes too) and black skinny jeans.

After I change out of my sleeping attire, I slip on my combat boots and as I’m tying the laces, I still see Rachel looking around like a lost puppy. I glance at my clock once again, and _6:17_ blinks back at me.

I sigh and stand up from my bed, “come on, I’ll walk you to breakfast.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know this chapter is incredibly short, not even six hundred words, but i wanted to get something up since it's been so long. as always kudos and comments are greatly encouraged and appreciated!


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